Death and Dying Resources | Sojourners
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Death and Dying Resources

Resources for living well in the midst of death and grief
By Kara Lofton
May 2014

Death is the inevitable end to our lives and the lives of our loved ones. In the U.S., however, we often choose to ignore this reality until we are faced with our own death or the death of someone we are close to. Belinda Acosta documents her own experience with death and dying in “Holding On and Letting Go" (Sojourners, May 2014).

The following resources are for those experiencing death, dying, and grief or for those who desire to learn more about the process in order to live well.

ARTICLES

  1. The Five Stages of Grief, by E. Ethelbert Miller
     
  2. Grief in Community, by Ron Green
     
  3. Reflections Along the Way of Terminal Illness, by Gordon C. Stewart
     
  4. ‘God is Good. God is Great. Hope is Eternal:’ Lessons in Life and Dying, by Phil Haslanger
     
  5. Brian McLaren: Sorry Can Make Us Better, Not Bitter, by Brian McLaren
     
  6. The Art of Dying, by Lisa Sowle Cahill

BOOKS

  1. On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss, by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David A. Kessler, is a practical guide on how to apply the five stages of grief to the grieving process. Scribner, 2007
     
  2. A Grief Observed, by C.S. Lewis, documents the feelings and questions Lewis experienced after the death of his beloved wife. HarperOne, 2009
     
  3. Living Fully, Dying Well: Reflecting on Death to Find Your Life’s Meaning, by Edward W. Bastian, Tina L. Staley, and contributors, is a practical and spiritual guide to living one’s life well in any stage of life or closeness to death. Sounds True, Inc., 2009
     
  4. Experiencing Grief, by H. Norman Wright, is written for those who have recently experienced loss and are caught in despair. The book is meant to accompany one on that journey and to help one find peace and develop an even stronger faith. B&H Books, 2004
     
  5. Sacred Dying, by Megory Anderson, is intended to help both caretakers and those who are dying create a more peaceful and dignified end to life. Da Capo Press, 2003

DOCUMENTARIES

  1. Facing Death is comprised of interviews with death and dying researcher Elisabeth Kubler-Ross as she awaits her own death and reflects upon her life. First Run Features, 2007
     
  2. Consider the Conversation: A Documentary on a Taboo Subject is a film by two friends about Americans’ struggle with communicating and experiencing the end of life and how to practice life to the fullest in the here and now. Burning Hay Wagon Productions, LLC, 2011
     
  3. Grief Walker is a movie by Harvard-educated theologian Stephen Jenkinson who teaches that death can and should teach us to live well. Alive Mind, 2012
     
  4. The Gifts of Grief, a film by Nancee Sobonya, uses personal stories of people who have experienced grief to help others gain insights from their own loss and to find comfort. Shining Light Productions, 2005
This appears in the May 2014 issue of Sojourners
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